Following Lionel Messi‘s surprise transfer from FC Barcelona, his new club Paris Saint-Germain has reportedly already made over $100 million on jersey sales – and it has only been a week. Someone who’s also making a pretty penny from the shirts is Messi’s fellow GOAT, Michael Jordan, who is said to have racked up a nice $5 million already from his partnership with PSG.
When Messi’s PSG shirt initially dropped, fans were queueing outside the PSG location hours before the store opened, and shirts were sold out online within 30 minutes. It is said over 830,000 jerseys were sold in the first 24 hours following his signing, breaking all previous records. 30 minutes to sell all of Messi’s shirts adorned with the number 30 on the back? Seems like it was meant to be.
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Michael Jordan’s Jordan Brand has been manufacturing the PSG kit since the 2019/20 season, with the former Chicago Bulls player taking a 5% cut. With other high profile players like Kylian Mbappé and Neymar in the lineup, it is clear that the label will be selling thousands of more shirts within the upcoming months, and will continue to benefit off of Messi’s signing.
Jordan’s partnership with the football club is set to expire in 2023, unless the contract is set to be renewed. It will be a big L for Michael Jordan if it won’t be.
As previously reported by Highsnobiety, Messi’s surprise departure from Barcelona is said to leave a $160 million hole in the club’s brand value, with Messi having been key to push sales and market the team both on and off the pitch.
With a $41 million annual net salary, a $30 million signing bonus, and jerseys flying off the shelves, it is clear that Messi made a move that won’t hurt his wallet.